The statements in this section merely provide background information related to the present disclosure and may not constitute prior art.
Conventional vehicle powertrains regularly employ a flywheel in the drive train between an engine and a clutch. When the clutch is engaged, the flywheel helps to reduce vibrations from propagating from the engine through the powertrain. With increased demand for improved vibration characteristics in vehicles, the single mass flywheel, however, has been inadequate in particular situations, such as, for example, in their use in smaller engines.
As a result, some powertrain arrangements employ a dual mass flywheel with a pair of rotating masses connected to each other with a spring and damper system to reduce the amount of torsional vibrations in the powertrain. A first mass is connected to the engine crankshaft on the engine side of the spring and damper system and a second mass is connected to the clutch side of the spring and damper system. The first mass, however, typically has a lower inertia than a conventional single flywheel and, therefore, is not as effective in reducing engine pulsations and vibrations since these vibrations are reduced only by the inertia of the first mass. In view of the above, it is apparent there exists a need for a flywheel assembly that further reduces powertrain vibrations.